Mechanism for locking levers fulcrumed for universal swinging movement



e. c. JENSEN. MECHANISM FOR LOCKING LEVERS FULCRUMED FOR UNIVERSAL SWINGING MOVEMENT. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1' I917.

1,385,552. 4 PatentedJuly 26,1921.

WITNESS: 1N VENTOR.

Mr"? I BY A TTORNE YS.

UNITED :PA E N iQ'FFI CIE GEORGE G.:'J'ENSEN, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters men. mammal-1,113,263 1-92L Application filed December 7; "1917. Serial (no. 206,083.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen C. Jnnsnma citizen of the United States, residing at Qakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Locking Levers Fulcrumed for Universal Swinging 'Movement, of" which the following is a specification.

The; present invention relatesjto an im proved mechanism for lock-ing levers, and said invention relates more-particularly to a type of lock mechanism whereina longitudinallymovable lock' controlled locking bolt is adapted to engage a portion of-the lever to lock the same from operative movem nt within its mounting; to provide a construction wherein the lockcontrOlled locking bolt is automatically held inlocked position on being manually moved into such position and is automatically released on the release of the lock controlled mechanism cooperating therewith; to provide a construction wherein the locking bolt and its cooperating lock mechanism is formed as a part of the body providing a fulcrum point and closure for the lower portion of the lever. "The in vention consists broadly in providing a lever capable of movement in different horizontal planes and cooperating with which is a bifurcated locking bolt longitudinally movable into and out of cooperative relation with the lever and having'associated there with asuitable locking pawl or member for engaging the'boltto retainthe sameincooperative relation with the lever, to lock the lever from operative movement.

VViththe above'mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claim hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minordetails of construction within the scope of the claim may be resorted to without departing "from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

To more fully comprehend the invention reference is directed to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional View of the preferred embodiment of my 7 lockas applied to any well known type of motor vehicle gear shift lever.

Fig. 2.,is'a sectional view taken on line 2+2 of 'Fig. l and viewed in'the direction of the arrows, illustrating more clearly the speed gate for controlling the operative movement of the lever.

Fig. 3 is a sectional viewtaken on line '3-3cof Fig. l and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a lever of a type commonly used on motor vehicles, at the upper end of which is handle, not shown in the drawings. Said lever 1 is arrangedfor swinging movement in two parallel planes and for this purpose is freely-'fulcrumed' upon a horizontal shaft 3, the latter being fixed in the fixed arms-or brackets '5 extending upwardly from a tubular housing ormember 2, supported inany suitable manner and inclosing that portion of the lever below its fulcrum point.

lVhile I have illustrated the type of lever fulcrumed on ashaft, it is to be understood that my lockingdevice is not: confined to this type of lever,'--but*is applicable .to any type of lever ful'crumed for sw'inging movement in two parallel planes.

The lower end 6 of'the' lever 1,'as illus tratedin'Fig. 1 of 'the' drawin-gs, is'flattened or enlarged for engagement with the shifter rods-or blocksof a sliding gear mechanism, said shifter rod and mechanism being well known in .theart; and are therefore not illustrated in the drawings.

The usual spring forIholdingthe lever 1 in its vertical position laterally, is illust-rated-at '7, Fig. 1 of the drawings, to normally maintain the lower end-of the. lever when in neutralposition in the opening 8 between the meetingends "of arms 8, the opening 8 being so'disposed as, to necessitate a transverse movementyof the lever to neutral-position'before the same can be moved laterally" for operation indifferent parallel planes one-at each side ofthe arms 8', as in Fig.1 of the drawings. V

It-will thusbe apparent that the arms 8 and opening 8*provide a speed gate for guiding the lever in its movement and it will also be apparent that the end 6 of said lever is of such size as to prevent the upward withdrawal of the lever through the opening 8 should the shaft 3 be removed, the lock mechanism hereinafter described, preventing axial movement of the lever to admit of the same being withdrawn from the openllidably mounted in a guide 10 formed in the sidewall of the tubular housing 2'and communicating with the interior thereof at a point below the fulcrum point of the lever and preferably immediately above the speed gate is a locking plunger 11 bifurcated. at its outer end as at 12, said plungerbeing adapted to engage the lower portion, of the lever 1 whensaid portion is received in the headed'end 1.5 of a guide member 16 which is carried by the rear wall of the guide 10 and extends into a spring receiving opening or bore 17 formed axially of the rear portion of said plunger 11. The plun or carries at its rear end a laterally exten ing operating member 18 projecting outwardly through a slot 19 in the upper wall of the bore 11 and is adapted to be pressed forwardly when it is desired to force the plunger outwardly and lock the lever from movement when in its neutral position.

To automatically lock the plunger when moved into engagement with the lever, a lock barrel receiving bore 20 is provided, communicating with-the plunger guide 10, and in the lower end of the same is positioned a vertically reciprocating latch member 21'provided with a'flange 22 and carrying a tongue 23 operatin in a vertical gui 24: which prevents the latch from rotating on the operation of the locking'barrel'25.

A spring 26 interposed between the base of the barrel. 25 and the flange 22, maintains the latch in contact with the upper surface of the lunger 11. The latch 21 carries a lug or fihger 27 on its under-face and which is adapted to be forced by the spring 26 into a suitable opening 28 in the upper surface of the rear portion of the plunger 11, when said plunger is forced forwardly to lock the lever, the lug or finger preventing the release of the plunger untll such time as a controlling key, not shown, is employed to rotate the locking barrel. p

The latch member is'provided with a suitable .cup 29 for receiving the lower end 30 of the barrel 25, and said cup is provided in its side wall with a substantially triangular cam slot for receiving the latch releasing pin 31 on the lower end 30 of the barrel 25.

the wall A so that an oscillatory movement 1 of the barrel approximately a one-quarter revolution, first in an anti-clockwise and then in a clockwise direction, first causes the pin 31 to travel over the downwardly inclined wall C of the cam slot which raises the latch, permitting the plunger to automatically release, due to the spring 13, from engagement with the lever 1 and thus move the pin 31 to the full line position as in Fig.

1 of the drawings, which enables the bolt to automatically lock the plunger on the next forward movement thereof.

It will be apparent that I have provided a construction wherein the locking bolt on being manually moved lineally into engagement with the lever to prevent movement of the same is on engaging the lever locked in such position, and on the operation of the locking means said plunger is automatically moved rearwardly longitudinally from engagement with the lever, permitting free movement thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is r In combination with a support, a lever, and means with which said lever cooperates for preventing movement of the lever comprising a plunger in said support adapted to engage said lever and at least partially surround the same, means for normally re-r' taining said plunger in disengagedposition away from the lever, a lock adapted to engage-a part carried by the plunger to retain the same in engaged position with the lever, and an operating member for the plunger having a projecting part accessible to the operator and interengaged with the plunger and the supportto maintain the plunger and its locking part in alined position relative to the lock and the lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

I GEORGE O. JENSEN.

Witnesses:

B. MERRELL, E. R. ANDREAS. 

